I WRITE IN COFFEE SHOPS A LOT.

A ridiculously long time spent at Starbucks

12:30 p.m. To say I’m starting later than I intended is an insult to the entire concept of time. Why am I so bad at getting out of the house? But, I’m here now. There’s that, I suppose.

12:32 p.m. “here” is Starbucks, btw. And I’m not leaving for a long, long time.

12:46 p.m. those big headphones that cover the whole ear–the sort DJs wear–seem to be becoming more and more of a thing. I understand the listening experience is greatly improved and all, but they seem to me like they’d just be one more pain-in-the-ass thing to carry around.

12:52 p.m. I use a nickel to unscrew the battery compartment on my keyboard. I just absent-mindedly put it down on the table, then glanced at it moment later and saw it’s standing on its edge. Have nickels gotten thicker? The only other explanation is ghosts.

1:17 p.m. Just realized the paramedics are here. Dimly appalled that there was, apparently, some sort of emergency and I didn’t notice. No one seems to be moving very fast, though. They’re taking a girl’s blood pressure. I’m guessing she fainted.

1:25 p.m. Getting a refill. Recently downloaded the Starbucks app to my phone and I just remembered I can use it to pay with my Starbucks card. Wish I’d thought of it when I got the original cup of coffee, as that would be more momentous and all, but still: exciting!

1:26 p.m. A thing I really wish: that this Starbucks kept napkins by the cash registers so that when I take the lid off my cup for them to refill, I could wipe away all the drops of coffee clinging to the lid. I mean, obviously this would not be in my top three wishes, or even my top 100, but still.

1:28 p.m. Barista did not seem to understand how exciting it was that I was using the phone app for the first time. She’s the only one here I really don’t like much.

1:33 p.m. and when she gave me my coffee, there were grounds floating on top. Great.

1:50 p.m. I have an insanely horrible itch on the bottom of my foot. If I take off my shoe and scratch it, I’ll feel like a huge weirdo if anyone notices. But… I don’t think I have a choice.

1:51 pretty sure I made it look like I was just retying my shoe.

1:54 p.m. Have not gotten nearly as much writing done as I should have by now. Am going to set my timer and see how much I can write in 30 minutes. Go!

2:50 p.m. Ended up doing 45 minutes straight. 1300 words. Not my best but I’ve done worse. To reach my day’s goal I just have to do that… Five more times. Oh dear. Did I mention I got kind of a late start? Maybe I can type faster…

3:03 p.m. There is a car right outside the window across from my table and sunlight is bouncing off the chrome directly into my eyes. Can’t seem to adjust my cap to block it (I know you’re sad that my life is so hard).

3:05 p.m. Have twisted myself around ridiculously to avoid incredibly bright light, but keep glancing up to see if it’s gone, cause I’m an idiot.

3:07 p.m. Right. Another 45 minutes.

3:57 p.m. 1200 words. Durn it. I honestly thought I was typing faster that time, too.

3:55 p.m. The charger for my android has an attachment that makes it a charger for my iPod. I think we can all agree that this is the best thing anyone has ever invented.

4:07 p.m. Guy at the condiments bar asked me about my $1 reusable cup. I told him about how if you buy 10 cups of coffee it pays for itself. He thought people using it should get free refills, and I told him about how you get free refills with the gold card. Then I told him how to get a gold card. By the end of the conversation I felt the need to clarity that I don’t work for Starbucks.

6:03 p.m. I’ve written about 4500 words so far today. It’s a lot but should be more. I think its time to get something to eat. The plan was to go next door to the salad place, or maybe Zankou chicken, but I’m worried that when I come back there won’t be any tables. Trying to decide if I should just eat something here, but I don’t like much of the real food they have. Plus, I’m sorry, but it’s sort of over priced, too.

6:58 p.m. Ended up leaving to get food. Have returned, fed (awful, but my fault for ordering the wrong things), and found a table. Not a great one; it’s by the door and its super cold out but whatever. It’s a table.

7:03 p.m. Just got back from getting my coffee to find two young teenagers sitting at my table. I pointed out my notebook was on the table, and they moved–luckily another table had just opened up. I’m feeling kind of rude, like maybe I should have taken the new table instead (and asked them to give me my notebook I guess?) but in the moment I was just really disconcerted. Its a very large, very bright red notebook. Normally I put my jacket on the chair as well as something on the table… it was just too cold to not wear it. Anyway, I’m feeling kind of bad about the whole thing.

7:25 p.m. Couple next to me having a half-joking argument. Woman just asked me to tell her boyfriend not to talk to her like that. I did, with no reservations. Jerk face.

7:30 p.m. Kind of regretting my “whatever it’s a table” line. It is absurdly cold by the door. So glad I brought fingerless gloves. Wish is also brought a blanket.

7:41 p.m. Darn it, earlier a guy with something really weird written on his shirt came in and I was going to mention it here but I didn’t want to stop working…and now I can’t remember what it was. Clearly my priorities are screwed up.

7:45 p.m. It might actually be so cold I have to leave.

8:50 p.m. Stuck it out for a while. Now at 6500 words for the day (not counting the 1000 I wrote here…), which means with what I’d already written I’m a third of the way through my current project. Was planning on walking home, but my lovely husband has offered to come get me.

2 thoughts on “A ridiculously long time spent at Starbucks”

Those DJ style headphones, definitely a pain in the ass but so trendy and cute! Plus it really cancels out ALL THE NOISE especially at a place like Starbucks. I love them when I am trying to do reviews. Some come with carrying cases though.

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Coffee shop etiquette. Things that drive me crazy in coffee shops. Things that help me write in coffee shops. All sorts of things.
I'm not affiliated with Starbucks, or any other place... I do write in Starbucks more than any other coffee shop, but that's because I get Starbucks cards as gifts fairly often.